Taking time off

And now for something completely different. 

The Las Vegas shows are right around the corner. At IDEX, this means we'll be staffing the booth at the Sands exhibition at the Venetian, and, more importantly, cruising the JCK show's corridors to make contacts, to meet clients and old friends.

JCK, Couture, JIS and the other concurrent shows and exhibitors have been bombarding us with emails, telling us where to go, what to look at and whom to listen to. My preparations are now in full bloom. Surely, by the time I leave for the long, long trip across the pond, I will be exhausted.

In our business, it is all too easy to make long days and work 24/7. When I was a sales director, the days were always too short. Today, for me, it is often the same. There is always more info to absorb, another angle to consider, another edit to improve a piece, like this one.

But there is a limit to what you can - and should - do in the course of a day's work and how long it should be.

Just as I was thinking about this, closing my computer late at night, I happened to catch a string about store closing times on the Facebook page of "Jewelers Helping Jewelers (JHJ)." If you are a retail jeweler and want to find the best possible support group that is out there, JHJ is it.  If you are a diamond or gemstone seller, a designer, a bench jeweler, etc. who wants to understand what retail jewelers, mostly but not exclusively in North America, are dealing with daily, from micro to macro, JHJ is a most valuable resource.

The discussion at hand was about what days/times to close one's retail store. A store manager said her boss wanted to close the store on Mondays, to create a two-day window in the week, a weekend of sorts.

What would happen?  Would they lose business? What would their customers say?  Would they vote with their feet?

Here - paraphrased - were some of the reactions.

• JHJ member A: We decided to close on Mondays a few years ago. It has been wonderful. Our customers saw no problem in it, Tuesdays are now our busiest days, excepting Saturdays.
• JHGJ Member B:  Are you an independent, neighborhood jeweler? Go for it.  Your customers will understand and appreciate you more when you're open. Go find a beach on Monday! 
• JHJ Member C: We're in a mall. Open seven days a week. We're expected to be open also on Sundays.
• JHJ Member D:  It's a blessing. Staff scheduling has become so much more easy, and staff is so much more relaxed and productive.
• JHJ Member E:  It has worked great for us and also for our personal well-being. We have time to do our chores, and it is a great day to meet undisturbed with vendors.

Of course, it's different for each one of us. But this forum - JHJ - has proven to be a great resource, not only for professional advice and insights, but also to learn more about the social aspects of our industry.

JHJ was established a little over two years ago by Aleah Arundale-Siegel, a diamantresse from Chicago. This "closed" group now counts more than 15,000 members. Hats off to Aleah!